Sunday, September 15, 2013

Review: Sigma Beauty Crème de Couture Eyeshadow Palette

I am getting warm and fuzzy happy feelings just writing this post. Using this eyeshadow palette has soul-lifting effects akin to nuzzling a kitten. I've already talked a little bit about the new Sigma Fall Macaron-Inspired Collection (I've reviewed the Sigma Beauty Crème de Couture Blushes here). This palette is the icing on the fabulous makeup cake. (The ganache in the macaron biscuits? That doesn't sound nearly proverbial enough...)

The palette itself was a little bit smaller than I was expecting, but the quantity of eyeshadow is still quite substantial. It has a full 0.85oz of shadow. For comparison, the Sugarpill 4-color palettes are only 0.48oz. Each of the Sugarpill shadows is 0.12oz and each of these is a much
smaller 0.05oz, so you'll probably use up your favorites much faster, but you're definitely getting a lot of product for your money.

The palette comes with a little handy dandy sheet just in case you can't see the colors that are literally right in front of you. Alternative hypothesis: maybe it's so you can mail the sheet to your friends so you can brag about how awesome your eyeshadow palette is.

The packaging isn't really anything special. It's cardboard. The stripes on the inside of the lid and the shade names written on the front of the package were both nice touches, though. It's laid out in a four by four design and the shadows are kind-of-but-not-quite grouped by color.

Overall, I think the pigmentation on these shadows is stunning. Mattes are hard to do well, and these are matte pastels. I can't even find these colors done badly, let alone as near-perfectly as they are done here.

There are a couple colors that are a little bit weaker. I would say Cherry Blossom and Myer Lemon would require a white base to really pop. (Let's be real, though: they all look better with a white base.) I also thought the inclusion of Cafe Au Lait was a little bit of a throwaway. I would have preferred something more like Elderberry: a versatile dark shade that's not a neutral. A dark green or a denim blue would have fit the mood of the palette better. Additionally, since there are so many great browns out there, the formula on this one was a little bit "meh".

Other than those slight weaknesses, all of the colors are really buttery and pigmented. The diversity of shades allows for a lot of different looks and the quality makes said looks easier to pull off.

A few of the looks I have done with this palette:

At $32 for 0.85oz, this is a sweet $37.65 per ounce. For comparison, Sugarpill palettes, at $34 for 0.48, are $70.83 per ounce. For fuck's sake, Wet'n'Wild Eyeshadow Trios cost $24.92 per ounce. These Sigma shadows are absurdly inexpensive.

To give you a sense of my deep and unwavering love of this palette: I am strongly considering purchasing a second one of these, since they are limited edition and HOW ELSE WILL I LIVE MY LIFE WHEN I FINALLY HIT PAN?!

P.S. The code LJW2013 will get you 10% off your Sigma order until the end of September.